Bunte - October 27, 2008
translation by Sophia Trummer"Daddy is the Sweetest" *
The small village Enniskerry is situated half an hour's drive south of Dublin, in the middle of the picturesque green hills of County Wicklow, the "Garden of Ireland". Here lives famous singer Chris de Burgh (more than 45 million albums sold) with his family on an old country estate from the 18th century. BUNTE met Chris de Burgh in nearby Ritz-Carlton Hotel, a 5-star palace with a wonderful view of the wild-romantic landscape. "Unfortunately you cannot see my house from here", Chris de Burgh says and points at the forests and hills presenting themselves in front of the window of the hotel room. "This is the Sugarloaf Mountain, from my house we have the same view of this mountain". The singer moved with his wife Diane from Dublin to County Wicklow 16 years ago. The couple has been happily married for 30 years and they have three children. Daughter Rosanna (24) and the sons Hubert (20) and Michael (17). To the interview he brings his daughter, a former Miss World, who, in 10-cm high Kurt-Geiger heels, is almost a head taller than her famous father. Chris de Burgh is proud of his daughter who has been appointed most beautiful Beauty-Queen in the world at the age of 19, and who graduated three years later in Art History with a "First". Tea is served during the interview, she puts a cheeky strand of his hair in place, he touches her arm in gratitude. Then her strict glance goes to the cream pot he just reaches for. "Rosanna is my nutrition consultant. She is worried about my cholesterol level", the popstar says and lets go of the cream pot. In spite of his preference for selected wines and delicious food, the singer kept his weight for 20 years - keeping himself fit by swimming and walking. Last month Chris de Burgh celebrated his 60th birthday, but he's not at all in the mood to retire yet. On 21st November his new album "Footsteps" will be released, it is the 17th in his career of 34 years. A Wine Trip through Germany for Birthday Chris, you went 60 this month. How did you celebrate your birthday? CdeB: I did not want a big party, but I took my family to a small nearby restaurant for dinner. A special gift for me was to invite ten of my closest friends to join me and my wife on a wine trip through Germany. We took a private jet to Cologne and from there we travelled to Baden-Baden, Heidelberg, and to other idyllic places. I know Germany pretty well, but some of my friends had never been there. We think this country is simply fantastic and we never had so great drink and food. Rosanna, what was your birthday present for your father? It was difficult to find a present, because he has everything and he can buy himself everything. I did not want to give him something material, so I had a look through my photographs in our family albums and crafted a collage of happy memories. CdeB: It was the best gift. Rosie did not go into a shop to just buy something, but she took a lot of effort. The picture is hanging on the kitchen wall, I often stop before it, wallowing in holiday memories. Since 1995, you spend some weeks of the year with your family on Mauritius. Do you have a villa there of your own? CdeB: No, but we always drop by at the same Hotel ("Le Saint Geran", note of editor). I never wanted to buy a house outside of Ireland. Perhaps some day the children would not have liked to go to this holiday house any longer. Furthermore, I was always afraid of somebody calling me in the middle of the night from Columbia or from somewhere else telling me "The roof of your holiday villa has just come down". "His Handy looks like a Brick" Mr. de Burgh, you have sold 45 million albums. What is a piece of luxury for you? CdeB: I bought myself a helicopter 8 years ago, pure luxury. Sometimes we take it to fly to the restaurant. Rosanna: But my father never took us to school by helicopter. Anyway he does not spend a lot of money for himself, he does a lot for other people. CdeB: Just look at my watch. I have it for 20 years now, a Jaeger LeCoultre. Why buy another? Rosanna: And his old handy looks like a brick. Is he a good Dad? Rosanna: I have many beautiful memories of my childhood. For example, my Dad played football with us in the garden. CdeB: To be separated from my children I sense to be very painful. My wife had a tubal pregnancy and nearly lost her life. The chance to get children anyway was very little. Are you strict? What was it like when Rosanna had her first boyfriend? CdeB: Of course you give certain instructions to your daughter, like for example not to stay out til five in the morning. But I was certainly not standing with a shotgun behind the window - in a figurative sense. Rosanna: At 14 I had a 16-year old boyfriend. When he called on me, my mother made sure that other friends were staying by, as chaperones. As you can imagine, the relationship did not last long. How is it with your present boyfriend? Rosanna: Wesley has been my friend for two years now. I got acquainted to him shortly after my relationship with James was ended. CdeB: Both Wes and James have always treated Rosanna with greatest respect. I am not meddling, unless I noticed that there would be violence involved, I would act at once. My 20-year old son Hubie has a girlfriend and he is very happy with her. My opinion does not count here. I have learned at an early stage to keep away from these things, otherwise one day they say: "Dad, that is not your business, I will go out with whom I want". Rosanna: I am very obstinate, and I really do not want anybody to meddle here. Do you plan to marry soon, Rosanna? Rosanna: Perhaps at the end of my 20ies or at the beginning of my 30ies. At the moment I am enjoying my life, travel a lot, work in London and Dublin and build up my career. "Every now and then there should be a break" How did you secure that your children, despite of all the fortune, did not detach from reality? CdeB: I live according to the motto that everyone is the same. My children should not feel in a different way than other children. I myself grew up in a household with very few money, I wore the old clothes of my brother. My mother put the only money of the family, which she had inherited from an aunt, in our education. In the first 12 years of my career, I did not earn any money, I had million debts. So I know both sides of the story. Did you not grow up in a castle - Castle Bargy in the Southeast of Ireland? CdeB: Yes, I did, but when we moved in, there was neither running water nor electricity or heating, only a fireplace. I had to collect and cut firewood in the forest. There were rats in the castle which was not even the property of my parents. My grandfather had bought it from his pension - he was a General in the British Army. We farmed the castle with cows and sheep. What advice would you give to your daughter and to your sons on the way? CdeB: If it is about ambition, I advise them to take a break every now and then and to reflect what they already have achieved. I myself am not very good at that, Rosanna has inherited this feature from me. You climb a mountain and sometimes you should pause and enjoy the view, instead of staring at the next peak in front of you. Rosanna: I put myself under a lot of pressure to achieve even better and even bigger things. I do not look back very often, delighting in my success. This is a feature Dad and I have very much in common, whereas my achievements are not comparable to his. CdeB: That is not right. It is about what you do with your talent, from what has been given to you. I do not say that I am a better person only because I am having success as a singer." Rosanna still lives at home at the age of 24 Rosanna, you won the Miss World title five years ago and you were working as a model. What is your profession now? Rosanna: I keep on modelling and my contract is with the same agency in London as Kate Moss?. Next year I will be presenting a car show for an Irish TV channel. Chris de Burgh: She also writes for british newspapers and she is doing a good job, really. You are working under your birth name, Rosanna Davison, not under your father?s pseudonym. Do you think it is more an obstacle or an advantage to be the daughter of a star? Rosanna: Of course his name has helped me a lot. After all he is a global sex-god and a world-wide superstar. No, but honestly. With his long-term experience in show business he was able to give me a lot of advice. Nevertheless I tried to get independent and to escape from this shield. In Ireland I had success meanwhile, in Great Britain I am still working on that. What kind of advice do you give to your daughter? CdeB: You are quickly tempted to believe in your own image. Global sex-god - my family likes to joke about me this way. When you are standing on stage and you see how women look at you with that certain glance, you have to remember that the fans do not adore you personally, but the dream. I advise Rosanna to distinguish between dream and reality. You are the person walking around at home in an old bathrobe and slippers, not the person who is adored in public. "We have a similar musical taste" Rosanna, you are still living with your parents at 24. Rosanna: I love it to live there. My parents create a very cosy and stable home for me. How do you get along with your brothers? Rosanna: Hubie studies in Dublin and lives on the campus there, I don?t see him very often. Michael still attends school and lives at home, we get along very well. CdeB: It has not been easy for Michael to be the youngest of three, he had to assert himself. He just got his driving licence and goes to school by car now. Have you bought him a car, as a reward? CdeB: No, he drives Rosanna?s old BMW 3-series I bought her five years ago when she won Miss World. My first car was a Ford Prefect with three gears forward and one backward. Is there a topic you like to argue about? Perhaps music? CdeB: No, not really, if we are indeed argueing, it does not last long. Rosanna: We have a very similar musical taste and we both like to listen to emotional, passionate songs. I like his songs from the eighties, such as "Spanish Train", "A Spaceman came Travelling", "The Snows of New York", "Missing You". "Live I deliver a rock show" Chris, your ballad "Lady in Red" made you a world-wide star 22 years ago. Are you not bored meanwhile to sing this song? CdeB: No, not at all. People coming to my concerts want to listen to this song. Some people think that it is the most terrible song in the world. Of course you are quickly pigeonholed after such a hit. Perhaps many people expect me to stand on the stage in a dinner jacket for 3 hours, belting out "Lady in Red". Live I deliver a rock show. "Lady in Red" is the slowest song of the evening. Critics who know only this song should perhaps listen to the other 220 songs I have written. There are two songs from you on your new album "Footsteps", the rest is cover versions, a.o. songs from The Beatles, The Byrds, or Bob Dylan. CdeB: I always wanted to do some kind of retrospective, but not to cover just any songs, but songs which mean something to me. I have selected the songs according to certain criteria, there is a story behind each one. The British press often mocks you - especially when you got into the headlines two years ago as a miracle healer. How do you deal with that? CdeB: Of course you are running the risk that they take the mickey out of you if you speak about these things in public. But why should I deny something which is true, only because someone could laugh about me? However, I don't talk much about it anymore. Well whom did you heal up to now? CdeB: Many people, but there was an incident Rosanna witnessed as well. We attended a charity dinner in Dublin. A lady at Rosanna?s table had injured the sinews on her right hand and was wearing a bandage. She could not hold a glass. I layed my hand there, and ten minutes afterwards she could lift her wine glass. Rosanna: Her hand was still shaking, but she could move it already. CdeB: I think that physical pains are meant to protect the body. Sometimes there is a blockade between the pain and the brain. In the case of this woman I have removed this blockade, but she has healed herself. I think everyone can do this, not only me. Embarassing situation with the Dad Do you like to go to festivities together? Rosanna: We have been at some parties in Germany, at an event of Lambertz in Cologne we sat at the same table with Faye Dunaway and Jerry Hall. CdeB: My wife does not like to go to public events. Rosanna, her brother Hubie and I like it to be in the limelight. Their youngest brother Michael is also rather quiet, just like his mother. Last question: With so much harmony, has there been an embarrassing moment with your father as well? Rosanna: When I was 16, we went to our village pub at Christmas. A rather drunken old man gave me a kiss on my cheek. Dad said to him: "If you kiss my daughter, you have to kiss me as well". Then the drunken guy gave my father a kiss on his mouth. Everyone laughed. The friends of the drunken asked, completely confused: "Tell me, did Chris de Burgh just kiss you on your mouth?"